Thursday, March 5, 2009

Let Obama know about the Pashtoon Racism in Afghanistan



Let’s use the opportunity to say the truth in order not to be shameful and regretful one day seeing the pages of history


Blogger’s note:
This article was written by Jafar Rezaie before Obama officially began his presidency so some of the points are referred to that time. Some parts of it are being translated as the strategies of the United States in Afghanistan are to be changed due to need of time. Therefore the main purpose of this article is to identify areas where could be considered for real changes in the new US strategies for Afghanistan. Undoubtedly among all other obstacles in front of stable peace, security and reconstruction in Afghanistan the ethnic racism and discrimination applied on the others by a limited group of people ruling the country has been bringing negative consequences in a multi ethnic and multi culture Afghanistan.



Written by Jafar Rezaie
Translated by Amin Wahidi

In the passed seven years, the International Community has assisted Afghanistan more than 22 billions (22 thousand millions) US Dollars. Although more than half of these international aids have been funded to Afghanistan through the NGOs but still Karzai Administration has been the main channel to give plans to the NGOs and prioritize the division of these aids per region or province. Undoubtedly twenty two billions is a tremendous amount and a big help for a poor country like Afghanistan but the main question so far is “where was this amount being spent?(in which parts of the country?)” While not based on an accurate statistic but even just with a short glance we can say that more than eighty percent of these aids are being spent only in sixteen Pashtoon provinces of the south, east and south western provinces of the country while only one percent of 22 Billion of foreign Aids, that makes 220 millions is not being spent in the Hazara areas.

Karzai Administration using the come- easy- go -easy foreign aids not only has strengthened the Pashtoons against the other ethnics of Afghanistan but also has established the Pashtoonization process of Afghanistan by gradually removing of the non Pashtoon officials from the governmental key positions.

The first structures that have been refined from the non Pashtoon ethnics, are the so called National Army and National Police which are indeed the ethnic army and ethnic police while whether has it been taken for granted by the non Pashtoon politicians or they do not dare to object against it.

It is more than seven years that the ethnicist administration under Karzai has been applying the Pashtoonization process of the power in Afghanistan without any problems and obstacles. It is to say as well that based on the old British policy of supporting the Pashtoon tribes, so far all the western powers have had conformity with it but now the victory of Barack Obama in the USA has brought a historical chance for the deprived or minor ethnicities of Afghanistan and it is on the Afghan intellectuals how to fight against prejudice and systematic racial discriminations in their country using the opportunities.

Barack Obama’s points of views have no similarity to George W. Bush’s who was a Texan Aristocrat. Obama a lawyer, writer and a struggler born in a poor family, and is familiar with words such as; poverty, discrimination and inequality. Barack Obama, moving to Chicago a capital city for the Blacks, has passed his youth there fighting against the racial discrimination. Before being a senator, Obama was a political activist fighting for the rights of the Blacks. Bringing these points here is just to remind that Barack Obama knows about the deceits of the racists. He knows as well how vulnerable is for a group as minority in a time when there is no justice and equality.

Obama can imagine very well, that in lack of civilization and liberty in a land where still the tribal ideology has role, where still Taliban are on power but only with different appearances, no rights are considered as human rights and minorities who are against such mainstream are always ignored or even victimized.

While it would be fool idea thinking that the US administration under Obama would think about the Hazaras, Uzbeks or under oppressed minorities, but it can be useful to let them know about the existing realities in the country so that when they think of their policies, it would help them face the realities.

As one of the ways, to help Obama administration for changes of policies and strategies in Afghanistan it is on us to write them about all existing realities without any fears from the corrupted officials and racial discriminators and propose solutions and alternatives for them.

As a primary signals for the this purpose I can think of two simple ways;

First; Obama’s electoral campaign has benefited from the modern technology communication mediums such as (email- SMS- Blog writing and websites) and it is said that Obama will still have strong public relations with the nation when entering into the White House and again these communication tools will be used a lot.
Therefore the Afghan intellectuals and the people fighting against unjust treatments and racial discriminations can use these tools to talk about the corruption, racial discriminations, inequality and the unfairly distribution of the foreign aids that are as equally dangerous for the country as the terrorism.

Second; As seen in the passed seven years, the Pashtoon Oppression on the others have resulted the blockage of reconstruction and development in certain areas where there were potentials available for progression.
Therefore the non Pashtoon political parties and political activists can demonstrate their objection against the Pashtoonization process of the country in a rally on 20 January when Obama is taking the presidency seat officially.
In this rally they can ask for the attention of the new US government on the fairly distribution and transparency of the foreign aids that come to Afghanistan.

See also:
Possibility acceleration of diverge in the Afghan government
Will Ramazan Bashardost be an Obama for Afghanistan?
Policing Afghanistan

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